6 Ways To Celebrate ‘National Inspire Your Heart With Art Day’

When it comes to celebrations, Jan. 31 has a little something for everyone. Not only is today Backward Day, National Hot Chocolate Day, Eat Brussels Sprouts Day, National Scotch Tape Day, and Brandy Alexander Day, but it is also Inspire Your Heart with Art Day!

A photo posted by It's a Day…Really (@itsadayreally) on Jan 31, 2016 at 7:07am PST

Although the origins of this annual “holiday” are unknown, Inspire Your Heart with Art Day encourages us to celebrate the unforgettable pieces that have moved us to tears or caused us to burst out in laughter.

Here are a few festive ways to honor this national day.

1. Visit a local art gallery

Visiting an art gallery is not only an inspiring experience, but it is a learning experience as well. Visiting an art gallery will not only give you the chance to view artwork with a newfound perspective, but you might even meet a few like-minded people while you’re there. Plus, most art galleries offer free admission, so really, it’s a win-win situation.

2. Sit down and finish reading that book you put down months ago

Reading a physical book is a great way to improve your focus and concentration. Whether you know it or not, we are living in a digital society – a digital society that is fueled by listicles, quick clips, and rants on Twitter. So instead of firing up your Mac and checking out the latest trends on Tumblr, try picking up a book – you’ll thank us for it later.

3. Get your friends together and have a movie night

Netflix and Hulu offer a wide selection of independent films. From short comedies to two-hour romances, there’s most likely something you and your friends will agree on watching. And if independent films aren’t exactly something you’re interested in, there’s several other movies to choose from.

4. Write something

Writing is a great way to relieve stress and express yourself. So instead of typing out your latest tragedy in a Facebook status, try grabbing a pen and a piece of paper. Better yet, look up a writing exercise online. The 7x7x7 writing exercise listed on Write to Done is a great way to start. To do this exercise all you have to do is grab the seventh book from your bookshelf, open it up to the seventh page, and look at the seventh sentence on the page. Then use that sentence to begin a seven-line poem.

Local dance studios often offer weekend dance lessons, but if you’re too nervous to dance in front of the rest of the class, just check YouTube. There are literally hundreds of videos of dance instructors teaching club, ballroom, hip hop, and more. If you’d rather not learn how to dance via YouTube, just Google “free online dancing lessons” to find an instructor’s or dance company’s website.

6. Check out the “Discover Weekly” tab on Spotify

Spotify is a digital music library, and unlike iTunes, you’re not required to pay for the songs you listen to. Spotify, in a sense, is a downloadable version of Pandora. Every Monday, Spotify updates its “Discover Weekly” tab based on your own personal music library.